Propeller



Oct. 25, 1932. F, H BER 1,884,703

PROPELLER Filed Dec. 1. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 15 59 1 f I l Oct. 25, 1932. HUBER 1,884,703

PROPELLER Filed Dec. 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Louisf! 171L196? points at which the blades are Patented Oct. 25, 1932 LOUIS F. HUBER, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND PROPELLEB Application filed December 1, 1930; Serial No. 499,389.

This invention relates to a propeller of that type utilizing broad feathering blades and while it can be used advantageously in connection with various kinds of structures it will be found more particularly suited as a propelling means to be combined with gliders.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple and compact mechanism, easily driven, whereby broad propeller blades can be rotated about a commonaxis, and at certain periods during their rotation, will be rotated automatically about individual axes so that the faces of the blades will displace air or other fluid in a direction necessary to propel the apparatus in the desired direction.

A further object is to provide a means under constant control of the user whereby the brought to active positions can be adjusted angularly relative to the axis of rotation of the propeller.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the prefer-red form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 1s a view more or less in diagram showing in front elevation a glider equipped with two propellers such as constitute the v present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the complete propeller units, its adjusting means and its supporting structure being also shown.

Figure 3 is a front ele peller unit. E

Figure 4 is a central section taken longitudinally of the propeller, parts being broken away. I

Figure 5 is a view more or less in diagram andon a reduced scale showing the ation of said prorails 19 and 20 come to a reference, 1 designates a shaft journaled in hangers 2 and 3 or any other suitable supports and adapted to be rotated by any desired mechanism. For example, and as shown in the drawings, a sprocket 4 can be secured to the shaft so as to receive motion through a chain 5 from a drive shaft 6 adapted to be actuated by any suitable means.

Mounted on shaft 1 adjacent to one of the supports 2 and 3, is a hub 7 having spokes 8 fixed thereto and radiating therefrom. If desired the hub 7 can be formed with a beveled gear 9 in constant mesh with another gear 10 which is carried by a shaft 11. This shaft can be operatively connected by worm gearing 12 to an operating shaft 13 having a crank 14 or the like by means of which it can be rotated by the operator. Thus it is possible to rotate the hub 7 on shaft 1 to any desired position and the worm gearing 12 will act as a lock for holding the hub against rotation unless it is actuated by means of shaft 18.

To the outer ends of the spokes 8 are secured opposed arcuate rails 15 and 16 which are eccentrically disposed relative to the shaft 1 and are located at one side of the spokes 8. The ends of the rails are spaced apart to provide a front gap 17 and a rear gap 18. Upwardly converging guide rails 19 and 20 are located above the gap 17 and another pair of upwardly converging rails 21 and 22 is located above the gap 18. The point 23 forwardly of the center of rail 15 while the rails 21 and 22 come to a point 24 located back from the center of rail 15. Arranged back of the rail 20 is a short arcuate rail 25 the upper end of which extends rearwardly beyond the point 23 for a short distance to provide a tongue 26. Another short arcuate rail 27 is located substantially parallel with and in front of the rail 21 and has its upper end extending upwardly and forwardly beyond the point 24. Arranged beneath the gap 17 are downwardly converging curved rails 28 and 29 which come to a point 30 located in front of the center of rail 16 and another pair of downwardly' converging curved' rails 31 and 32 are located back of'the center'of rail 16, these rails forming a point 33 as shown. Back of the rail 29 there is provided a short arcuate rail 34 having its lower end projectingbackwardly beyond the point to form a tongue ends of rail15 while the upper ends of rails 28 and 31 project upwardly beyond the' cor responding ends of rail 16. 'Gapsare left between the ends of these rails and gaps are also provided between the upper rails 20, 25,

27 and 21 and the corresponding lower ralls 29, 34, 36 and 32. r I

Fixedly secured to the shaft 1 so as to rotate therewith are oppositely extending spokes 37 arranged in pairs. Supported between the spokes of each pair are angular frames 38 covered with a suitable sheet material such as strongfabric indicated at 39. Each of these frames with its covering forms a propeller blade which can be: suitably reinforced and has a trunnion 46 extending from the center of one end. Fixedly connected to the trunnion are regularly spaced arms 41 disposed at rightangles to each other and carrying studs or rollers at their outer ends. These rollers have been designated at 42, 43, 44 and 45 respectlvely lhe rollers.

' are so located as to track along the various rails so as to present the propeller blades successively in proper positions to displace a r or other fluid in one direction to drive the propeller carrying mechanism in the opposite direction while at the same time the in I active blade will be advanced through the air or other medium in a featherlng position.

For the purpose of understanding clearly the action of each propeller bladeas itmakes one complete rotation, it might be statedthat when the propeller is in one intermediate or extreme propelling positionas shownin Figure 2, the rollers 42and 43 are bearing outwardly against the rail 16. As the propeller moves in a counter-clockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 2 the advancing roller 43 moves along the eccentric track formed by the rails 16 and 31 thereby causing the blade to rotate a short distance in a clockwise direction about its individual'axis 46 so astofprolong the active orrearward displacing action of the propeller blade; Ulti- ,mately roller 42 enters between the rails 32- and 36 and before this roller can leave the track formed by these rails, as shown in Figure 5, the roller 43 will have left the rails 31 and 16 and passed outwardly through the gap 18 so as to overlie and movably engage the outer surface of rail 15. Before roller 42 has left the rails 32 and 36 thegrollcr 45 will be guided between the rails 27 and 21, as shown in Figure 6. At the same time roller 44, which has swung inwardly into the gap 18, will enter between the rails 22 and 15. Thus-these rollers 44 and 45 will travel from the positions shown in Figure 5 to the posi- 'tions shown'in Figure?) and thence to the positions shown at the top of Figure 2 at which time the propeller blade will have completed aQone-quarteri rotation about its individual axis and will havebeen broughtto a feathers. ing position U 'As the blade leaves the upper position shownin Figure2, the advancing roller 45 will enter between the rails 15' and 19 while the roller 44 will enter between the rails 20. and 25. Thus the propeller blade will be maintained substantially in a feathering posi: t 1

tion as it rotates in a. counter clockwise direction but before theroller 44 can pass from between rails 20 and 25 said rails will act to further rotate the blade and swing roller 42 to position where it can enter between rails 29 and 34 Roller 45 will also-enter between rails 16 and 28 as shown in Figure 6, with the result that. the propeller blade will be brought rapidly to position to displace air or other fluidrearwardly as shown. at-the bottom of Figure 2.

During the second half of themovement of the propeller blade about the axis of shaft l said blade was given another oneQquarter turnabout its individual axis. V It will be noted'that the two blades of the unit operate positively each'to successively feather andpropel. The vario'us rails are located where they Wlll be engaged smoothly m and accurately by the rollers and they will at all times cooperate with one or more rollers to hold the propeller blade against unrestrained rotation about its individual axis.

' With the parts positioned as shown in Figures 2, 5 and 6, a glider orthe like to which thev propeller is connected will be. driven straight forward. By adjusting the tracks angularly about the axis of shaft 1 as here- 7 tofore explained, the propeller blades can' it be caused to exert an upward propelling action in any selected direction.

WVhat is claimed is: v v 1. A-propeller including ashaft, members rotatable therewith, a propeller blade'supported byv said members and rotatable about itsiindividual axis, regularly spaced rail engaging element'srotatable with the blade, said elements being all movable in the'same planeand disposed' 90 apart, and'a track held against rotation with the shaft and blade and having rails cooperating at all times with one or more of said elements to hold the blade against unrestrained rotation about its individual axis While rotating with the shaft and thus bring the blade successively to feathering and propelling positions, said track comprising diametrically opposed duplicate portions.

2. A propeller including a shaft, members rotatable therewith, a propeller blade supported by said members and rotatable about its individual axis, regularly spaced rail engaging elements rotatable with the blade, said elements being all movable in the same plane and disposed 90 apart, and a track held against rotation with the shaft and blade and having rails cooperating at all times with one or more of said elements to hold the blade against unrestrained rotation about its individual axis while rotating with the shaft and thus bring the blade successively t0 feathering and propelling positions, said track comprising diametrically opposed duplicate portions, said blade being rotatable by the cooperating rails and elements one'half of a complete rotation about its individual axis during one complete rotation of the blade about the axis of the shaft.

3. A propeller including a shaft, a double track having opposed duplicate sections, said track including opposed spaced arcuate rails eccentrically disposed relative to the shaft, opposed pairs of arcuate rails eccentrically disposed relative to the shaft and located within the space defined by the first named rails, upper and lower opposed pairs of converging rails interposed between the inner and outer eccentric rails, means for fixedly connecting all of the rails, a blade mounted for rotation about the axis of the shaft and about its individual axis, and means rotatable with the blade for engaging the rails in proper succession to rotate the blade once about its individual axis during two complete rotations of the blade about the axis of the shaft, thereby to bring the blade successively to feathering and to propelling positions during each of its complete rotations about the axis of the shaft, said means including rollers movable in the same plane and disposed 90 apart.

4-. A propeller including a shaft, opposed spaced arcuate rails eccentrically disposed relative to the shaft, opposed pairs of arcuate rails eccentrically disposed relative to the shaft and located within the space defined by the first named rails, upper and lower opposed pairs of converging rails interposed between the inner and outer eccentric rails, means for fixedly connecting all of the rails, a blade mounted for rotation about the axis of the shaft and about its individual axis, means rotatable with the blade for engaging the rails in proper succession to rotate the blade LOUIS F. HUBER. 

